1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network print system for printing a document or the like by generating print data representing the document or the like, via a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the Internet has rapidly developed and a large number of Web servers have appeared, business processing through the Web has been progressing. Business processing by a Web browser and a Web server has been widely adopted in which a personal computer connected to a network only has loaded on it the Web browser capable of displaying and inputting information. In such a case, information necessary for business processing is exchanged between the Web server and the Web browser.
The Web server receives information input from the Web browser, processes the information within the Web server, and transmits the processed information to the Web browser. The Web server displays the processed information. By repeating such an operation, business is achieved.
Problems in business processing by the Web browser and the Web server relate to print processing which is indispensable in business processing. Particularly, a beautiful print conforming to a format for a document or the like cannot be obtained.
Although an ordinary Web browser provides a print function, this function causes a printer controlled by the Web browser (or a printer controlled by a computer where the Web browser is started) to print a hard copy of an image displayed on the Web browser. In this print system, when printing an image whose size exceeds a sheet size or an image present on a plurality of pages, there exists a problem of how the image is to be divided on different pages, and a print desired by the user cannot be provided in most cases.
In order to solve such a problem, a print system can be considered in which a print-system server having a Web server generates print-image data (for example, document printing data) in accordance with an instruction from a Web browser, and the generated data is distributed to a client where the Web browser is started. In this print system, the server always generates printing data corresponding to each instruction, and sequentially transmits generated data to the client. This function is termed a server-side making function.
In this print system via a Web browser, final print-image data is generated at the print-system server side. Accordingly, if request are intensively generated from a large number of clients, the load at the print-system server side increases. Particularly, intensive generation of requests from a large number of clients is a characteristic in a network system via the Web.
Furthermore, since print-image data is generated utilizing a printer driver at the print-system server side, in order to cause a printer to print the print-image data at the client side, a printer driver at the client side must sometimes be identical to the printer driver at the print-system server side.
In addition, the amount of print-image data generated at the print-system server side increase depending on the contents of the data. If the print-image data is distributed to the client side, the load of the network also increases.
In order to solve such problems, in another approach, by distributing form data used for generating print-image data to the client side instead of distributing print-image data from the print-system server side, and providing a plurality of types of locations for storing distributed form data at the client side, overlay processing for generating print-image data can be efficiently and effectively performed. This function is termed a client-side making function.
However, a user who is not familiar with a print system cannot sometimes know whether or not the client-side making function can be utilized at the terminal of a client used by the user. Accordingly, it is desirable that the user can perform an optimum printing operation in an environment of a print system used by the user, without being conscious of the server-side making function and the client-side making function. For that purpose, it is desirable that the client-side making function is used if software for the client-side making function is installed in the terminal of a client operated by the user, and that server-side making function is used if the software is not installed.